But the chief captain Lysias came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands,
Mark how swiftly malice moves: within five days these men abandon all other business to pursue Paul. Ananias himself, the high priest who sat to judge him, now comes down to inform against him, stripping himself of dignity and laying bare his enmity for all to see. When a man of his rank will not play least in sight but openly declares himself Paul's sworn enemy, you see how God makes the priests contemptible when they make themselves so.
AI summary
Commenting on Acts 24:1-9
But the chief captain Lysias came upon us,.... Suddenly, and at unawares, immediately, and with great haste, before they could execute their designs; which were not to judge Paul according to law, but to kill him, in the manner the zealots did: and with great violence took him away out of our hands; for he came with an army, and rescued him, Act 23:27 Some...
Verse 7. But the chief captain, etc. Tertullus pretends that they would have judged Paul righteously, if Lysias had not interposed; but the truth was, that, without regard to law or justice, they would have murdered him on the spot. (d) "chief captain" (&) "chief captain" "commander"